Sports

Forest Beat Man City In A Top Four Showdown

Published

7 months ago

March 8, 2025

Editor

Nottingham Forest dealt a major blow to Manchester City’s bid to qualify for the Champions League as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late winner sealed a 1-0 victory in the top four shoot-out on Saturday.

City have been reduced to battling for a place in next season’s Champions League after a dismal campaign.

Even that usually routine target is far from assured for Guardiola’s men following their ninth league defeat this term.

With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League’s top four in the Pep Guardiola era.

Yet they left the City Ground looking anxiously over their shoulders after a first league loss to Forest since 1997.

Fifth-placed Chelsea, just one point adrift of City, will go above the champions if they beat lowly Leicester on Sunday.

Finishing fifth could still be enough for City to reach Europe’s elite club competition depend on the results of the English clubs who remain in continental competitions this term.

For City to achieve that modest goal, they will have to significantly improve on the latest limp display in a turbulent season.

Third-placed Forest are four points clear of City thanks to only their third win in their last eight league games.

Enjoying a fairytale season just a year after battling relegation, the former European champions are closing on a berth in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.

After Forest’s former defender Stuart Pearce was rushed to hospital having been taken ill on a flight this week, his old club displayed a big screen message reading ‘Get Well Soon Stuart’, after three minutes of the Premier League game, recognising Pearce’s old shirt number three.

– City Ground erupts –

Forest were able to draw on the ultra-aggressive Pearce’s trademark fire and brimstone in a stirring finale that followed a tepid first half.

Nico Gonzalez fired just wide from 25 yards as City tried in vain to seize the initiative in a nervous start from both teams.

The unseasonably sunny weather by the banks of the River Trent gave a soporific feel to what should have been a high-tempo clash with so much at stake.

City went close when Josko Gvardiol picked out Phil Foden, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Nicolas Dominguez, before Bernardo Silva wastefully fired over with Erling Haaland unmarked and waiting for a pass that never came.

Jeremy Doku’s strike forced Forest keeper Matz Sels into action for the first time.

But a woeful effort from Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White finished closer to the corner flag than the goal, an ugly misfire in keeping with the scrappy fare.

Anthony Elanga crossed to the far post where Dominguez’s volley finally forced Ederson to make a save soon after the interval.

Guardiola sent on Omar Marmoush, Kevin De Bruyne, Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic in a bid to spark City into life.

The changes didn’t have the desired effect as Forest found late momentum.

Ederson made a fine save, turning Hudson-Odoi’s curler onto the post.

De Bruyne’s free-kick was saved by Sels, but Hudson-Odoi stole the points as the City Ground erupted in the 83rd minute.

Gibbs-White conjured an inch-perfect pass to Hudson-Odoi and the forward cut inside before drilling a superb strike past Ederson’s weak attempted save at the near post.

AFP

Sports

Ballon d’Or 2025: Full List Of Winners

Published

18 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

In a night of celebration and surprises at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony crowned new champions in men’s and women’s football. PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé emerged as the men’s winner, capping off a stellar season that saw him lead his club to Champions League triumph.

Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí made history by securing the women’s award for the third consecutive year. Here’s the complete rundown of all the major awards from football’s most prestigious gala.

Men’s Ballon d’Or
• Winner: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

The 28-year-old French star beat out fierce competition from Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Dembélé’s pivotal role in PSG’s European success, including key goals and assists, propelled him to the top. This marks his first Ballon d’Or and continues a trend where winners since 2013 have been 28 or older.

Top 5 Rankings:
1 Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

2 Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

3 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Women’s Ballon d’Or
• Winner: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)
Bonmatí became the first player to win three in a row, despite Barcelona’s loss in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final to Arsenal and Spain’s defeat to England in the Euro 2025 final. Her standout performances as the best player in both the Euros and Champions League sealed the deal, edging out Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Barcelona’s Mariona Caldentey.

Other Major Awards
• Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player, Under 21): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
The 18-year-old wunderkind took home this award without contest, with speculation swirling about his potential for the senior Ballon d’Or in future years. Yamal’s speech humbly acknowledged the bigger prize ahead.

• Yashin Trophy (Donnaruma): Now in Manchester City, however the Italian shotstopper was pivotal during PSG’s quest for its first European glory.

• Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain
Honoring their dominant 2024-25 campaign, including Champions League victory. The Paris crowd erupted as DJ Snake presented the award amid chants.

• Women’s Club of the Year: Arsenal
Recognized for their undefeated run in the Champions League and overall excellence.

• Coach of the Year: Luis Enrique

Highlights and reactions
The evening was a mix of glamour and minor gaffes—think awkward dance breaks and a quirky DJ presentation—but the focus remained on the stars. Dembélé’s win has sparked debates on X and beyond, with fans crediting his team’s support while others lament Salah’s perennial near-miss. “What does Mo Salah have to do?” one BBC commenter quipped.

Bonmatí’s third win cements her as a legend at just 27, though some voices argued for Russo’s dual Euros and Champions League heroics. Real Madrid’s boycott drama from 2024 was absent this year, with their stars like Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior attending gracefully despite missing the podium.

Sports

Ballon d’Or: 2025 Women’s Club Of The Year Emerge

Published

19 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

Arsenal Women have been named the 2025 Women’s Club of the Year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris on Monday night.

The award comes after a historic season for the Gunners, who lifted the UEFA Women’s Champions League, defeating Barcelona 1-0 in the final in Lisbon. Stina Blackstenius scored the decisive goal to hand Arsenal their second European crown.

Beyond their European success, the North London side also impressed domestically, finishin second in the Women’s Super League and reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup..

The Women’s Club of the Year award recognises not only on-field success but also the club’s wider contribution to the growth of the women’s game.

Arsenal’s strong development structure, international recognition, and fan engagement were also factors behind their recognition.

Sports

Ballon d’Or: PSG Win Best Team Of The Year

Published

19 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned the Best Team of 2025 at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in Paris on Monday night.

The French champions, who enjoyed a remarkable season both domestically and in Europe, were recognised for their consistency and dominance across competitions.

The French giants enjoyed an extraordinary 2024-25 season, capturing four major trophies: the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League, and the Trophée des Champions.

They also reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, underlining their quality and ability to compete with the very best across continents.

The Best Team award at the Ballon d’Or gala highlights the Parisians’ evolution from domestic dominance to genuine European and global contenders.